This is a pretty good lineup -- assuming you don't think you need Mohamed Salah to make a lineup good.

There are 4 players in the 9.0 range: Leroy Sane, Sadio Mane, Jamie Vardy, and Roberto Firmino. Three players in the back are in the 6.0 range: David De Gea, Marcos Alonso, and Virgil van Dijk. There is strength throughout this squad.

And this picture doesn't even include the bench: James Tomkins, Brighton's Bernardo, and Will Hughes.

This is the kind of strength you can have without Mo Salah (or Harry Kane, but this post can't be about everything).

The Question of the FPL Season:

The burning question of the new FPL season is whether or not you need Mo Salah (at 13.0) to succeed. Will he score so many points that you cannot win without him? Or can you spend that money elsewhere to get more points overall?

I wish I knew the answer. The team above is pretty good. However, the risk of not owning Salah is great. And what if he starts the season as hot as his preseason form has been? Getting to him fast means selling two guys in the 9.0 range for Salah and some guy at 5.0.

A Lineup with Salah:

So let's flip this script and start the season with Mo Salah. Can you find enough quality at a lower price to make this possible? Here is how that looks:

David De Gea is swapped for Jordan Pickford, who is going to start for an improved Everton squad.

Harry Maguire and Paul Dummett replace Alonso and VVD. Tomkins is a capable starter at defender, so Dummett sits on the first bench position.

Salah replaces Mane. Now, you just hope that LFC's points go through Mo.

If you transfer out both 9.0 forwards -- Vardy and Firmino -- you can bring in Harry Kane and Josh King, everyone's "it" discount forward to start the new season.

Which One Is Better?

If I knew the answer to that, I would do that one. The beauty of FPL to start this season is that none of us know until the matches begin. How your season starts will be based on which one is right.

This week, the boys give you at least 3 players from each club that you might possibly want to consider. Along the way, learn the strategies they use to find the best 15 players for their 100 pounds. You have not set your FPL lineup for the start of the new season until you have heard both parts of this week’s pod.

This week, the boys give you at least 3 players from each club that you might possibly want to consider. Along the way, learn the strategies they use to find the best 15 players for their 100 pounds. You have not set your FPL lineup for the start of the new season until you have heard both parts of this week’s pod.

This week, the boys dive head first into newly promoted Fulham FC. Should you transfer anyone in for FPL? Is there a midfielder that could provide value? And does Fulham have enough to stay up this year? Find out on this week’s pod!

We have been preparing for the new Premier League season by having some fun with the possible lineups. Two weeks ago, we teased Chelsea FC a bit by picking only players whom they have either sold or loaned out to other PL clubs. Last week, we took a serious look at who the best "discount" players might be, even though a lineup full of them looked a bit silly.

This week, we turn to a topic that is so serious that you almost have to laugh -- injuries. There are some players who are always either hurt or about to get hurt. At least, it seems that way.

We were able to put an entire team of these players together. Let the debate begin!

GOALKEEPERS: Tom Heaton and Petr Cech - Tom Heaton has been out with injury for a very long time, and just when you thought he was coming back, he's got that pesky yellow triangle next to his name. As for Cech, well, when you wear protective headgear while playing, you will always make this team.

DEFENDERS: Phil Jones just had to make this team. He is, after all, the one we want the league to name their Injury Protocol after. Vincent Kompany is an injury waiting to happen, which is sad since he has been so good. The same is true for Laurent Koscielny, who may just need to retire soon. Tyrone Mings has not always been hurt, but he seems to get serious injuries when they happen. Finally, there's Leighton Baines. Honestly, if I could make it say "Everton Defender," I would. It seems like one of them is unavailable on any given week.

MIDFIELDERS: It is possible that West Ham's potential has not been realized because I can max out my Hammer quota for this team. Michail Antonio and Jack Wilshere are mainstays in the midfield. Xherdan Shaqiri had his first healthy year last season, so maybe he is working himself off this squad. Aaron Ramsey is hoping he is past his injury woes, too. The same cannot be said for Junior Stanislas, who is hurt again as I write this.

FORWARDS: There are so many choices at this position, but we had to go with these three. Sergio Aguero will be out for at least 5 matches per year. Daniel Sturridge and Andy Carroll will only be eligible for 5 matches per year -- combined.

If ever all 11 players are available for selection, you would have a pretty good FPL squad here. It's too bad that may never happen.

This week, the boys dive deep into newly promoted Cardiff City FC. Should you transfer anyone in for FPL? Even a discount defender? And why does Cardiff generate so many parallels to Huddersfield? Find out on this week’s pod!

One of our favorite things to do on our podcast is to find those players in FPL with 1) low prices and 2) a high point-per-pound (PPP) ratio. These players provide value to your lineup.

This week, we begin our post with the following premise: Using the definition of value above, what is the best FPL lineup that we can create? The squad pictured above is that answer. Below is an explanation of how we created it.

To create this lineup, we used the following maximum prices at each position:

Goalkeepers: 4.5

Defenders: 4.5

Midfielders: 5.5

Forwards: 6.5

Those prices were arbitrarily chosen, but most people will see them as low.

Here is why we picked the players we did:

GOALKEEPERS: While Jonas Lossl of Huddersfield and Ben Foster at Watford were in the mix (not to mention new-to-the-league Rui Patricio from Wolves), the two obvious choices at 4.5 were West Ham's Lukasz Fabianski and Brighton's Mat Ryan. Quite frankly, this is the most difficult position for an exercise like this, but those two guys should have good years at a great starting price.

DEFENDERS: First, pick a Brighton and Huddersfield defender. We chose Zanka and Bernardo (he's new to the league, but trust us on this one). Second, take James Tomkins from Crystal Palace and enjoy a few goals from set pieces throughout the year. Third, debate away about whether or not to take an Everton or West Ham defender (we didn't, although Issa Diop is one to watch). Fourth, take a Southampton defender (we took Cedric over Maya Yoshida, but it's a toss-up on which one will be better). Fifth, grab Florian Lejeune from Newcastle. Enjoy!

MIDFIELDERS: There are a lot of good names at 5.5 and lower. You will even see some guys from top 6 clubs, but don't take the bait (except maybe Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea, but be careful!)! There's a reason they are priced low. You are better off grabbing guys for our exercise from lower-table clubs who will regularly play. That's why Aaron Mooy from Huddersfield is in. Same for Arthur Masuaku from West Ham, Will Hughes from Watford, and Ivan Cavaleiro from Wolves (listen to this week's pod if you don't know who this guy is). The fifth midfielder is Jorginho from Chelsea -- his selection breaks our rule, but it seems worth the chance at this price.

FORWARDS: There are a ton of options here. It's tempting to just take the top three scorers from last year who are starting this season at 6.5 or lower: Ayoze Perez from Newcastle, Glenn Murray from Brighton, and Josh King from Bournemouth. The problem is that Scott is writing this post, so Murray is out. Danny Welbeck is currently on Arsenal, but if he gets transferred to another Premier League club as expected, he will play with some fire and is worth a chance as a third forward.

You undoubtedly disagree with some of these choices. That's fine. We would love to hear your alternative choices. You have to admit one thing, though. It's amazing what kind of squad you can put together by spending just 76.5 of your 100 pounds.

This week, learn more about the Wolverhampton Wanderers than you ever wanted to know. How do you say Diogo Jota? Why should you absolutely own Barry Douglas? How much is afternoon tea at the Wolves Museum? All the answers are in this pod!

In the last couple of seasons, there has been a running joke about Chelsea FC -- that you could field a squad of former players and loanees almost as good as the actual squad.

We decided to put that to the test. It was harder than it seemed it would be.

Filling out an entire squad proved difficult since many former players are not currently in the Premier League and, therefore, not in FPL. Nathaniel Chalobah of Watford would be a sixth midfielder, if FPL allowed for it. And it seems like Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be at least one loanee before the summer is over.

If they were in FPL and not the Championship, Daniel Sturridge and John Terry would have helped to fill out the squad. As it stands, they were unavailable.

Those are the players who couldn't be added. What about the ones who could?

GOALKEEPERS: You could do worse in FPL than Petr Cech and Asmir Begovic. Of course, in the upcoming season, Begovic will likely play more than Cech.

DEFENDERS: You would score some FPL points with Nathan Ake, Patrick van Aanholt, and Ryan Bertrand. In fact, most of you reading will probably own one of these guys.

MIDFIELDERS: You don't like the lack of club diversity here, so maybe you would transfer in Chalobah instead. It all starts with Mo Salah. Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic aren't great for FPL; you might actually get more from the Newcastle pair instead.

FORWARDS: Romelu Lukaku joins Mo Salah as the core of your FPL squad. Dominic Solanke won't play too much again this year, but he has upside. He would be a great third striker -- if we can find a second striker.

This is, of course, all in fun. Now that FPL prices are set, we get to have fun with creating all kinds of mock FPL lineups until the season starts. Who knows? Maybe we will come up with more in the few weeks that remain until then.

This week marks the return of the Transfer Window pod! Of the 23 players signed between the June edition and this recording of the July edition, who should be on your FPL radar? We like Brighton’s Bernardo and maybe Issa Diop for the Hammers. We don’t like Riyad Mahrez for City or Ben Foster for Watford. And unlike in June, this time, we have player prices to add to the debate!

The player prices for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) are out for the upcoming 2018/19 season. It is time to start planning your Gameweek 1 lineup now!

As you begin, your roster contains 15 empty slots. You have 100 pounds to spend to transfer in 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 3 forwards. If all positions were created equal, you could just equally divide the money as well, but life is just not that simple. Forwards and midfielders are pricey -- the really good ones, anyway.

It would be easy to divide 15 into 100 (which comes out to 6.6, by the way) and spend that much at every position, but don't do that. You will have great goalkeepers (but you can only play one) and an amazing defense, but you will regret not spending money on the Mo Salahs and Harry Kanes in this game.

Which begs the question: For whom should you break the bank? Who deserves more than their share of the 6.6 cost? To answer this question, let's look at the 10 players who begin the season with a 10.0+ cost:

Mohamed Salah (LIV) - 13.0: Last year's highest scorer should be this year's highest-priced player, right? The club's system is the same. The personnel is largely the same and, if anything, has only improved. Yes, he will eat up double your budget, but this is probably worth it.

Harry Kane (TOT) - 12.5: It is weird to see Harry Kane not priced the highest. However, he will still appear in his fair share of lineups. The question (and I'm serious) is this: Will this finally be the year he breaks his August curse and scores a Premier League goal in the opening month? If you say no, wait until September.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ARS) - 11.0: He played well in the second half of last season, but you should always hesitate a bit on players playing for clubs that have a new manager. His cup-tied status guaranteed him PL playing time, but that's no longer the case. He will probably be good, but there's reasons to pause here and wait for proof.

Raheem Sterling (MCI) - 11.0: Pep loves him. He played well last year. He's in the prime of his career. This might be a good choice. Just be prepared for that dreaded City rotation. If you keep him all year, though, it won't matter in the long run.

Romelu Lukaku (MUN) - 11.0: Lukaku is another one of those guys that usually pans out over the course of the entire season, but he will also have frustrating weeks. If you can be patient, you will be fine with Lukaku.

Sergio Aguero (MCI) - 11.0: Aguero or Lukaku? Neither 11-pound forward feels safe to start the new season. Aguero had a down year with some occasional "up" weeks. Of course, with Jesus next on the list, you really have to wonder whether you want to start here. It will probably take an Aguero hat trick sometime in August for us to take a look.

Gabriel Jesus (MCI) - 10.5: If the choice is between Aguero and Jesus, Jesus is the more likely pick based on Pep's perceived preference of him. With their prices very similar, though, you will want to keep an eye on this MCI forward situation.

Alexis Sanchez (MUN) - 10.5: Are you surprised to see him on this list? We are. Alexis will have to prove that he can thrive at United just like he did at Arsenal before we go anywhere near him.

Eden Hazard (CHE) - 10.5: This is why we are happy about the transfer window closing before the season starts. Will Hazard even be here for GW1? Who knows? The better question is whether or not Chelsea will have a new manager by then.

Kevin de Bruyne (MCI) - 10.0: KDB never really fully panned out last year, did he? His assist numbers are always great, but you can usually find more points for your money with other (goal scoring) midfielders. As someone who transferred in KDB to start last season and then vigorously defended it for weeks before finally shipping him out, I (Scott) don't plan to repeat that again this year.

Your money is precious. When it comes to the players in the above list, you will want to shop wisely.

This week, the boys welcome Andrew the Ref back to the pod and pepper him with questions that only a referee can answer. Can we eliminate elbows on 50-50 balls? Or grabbing on set pieces? Has VAR been successful in this year's World Cup? Andrew the Ref says yes. Also, what is it like to fill out a post-match referee's report? This week's pod will open up your eyes to a referee's decision-making skills like no other!

This week, the boys get back into the studio to examine the FPL relevance (or lack thereof) of the 26 players who have signed with the 20 clubs of the Premier League so far. Should you consider Fred, Fabianski, or Leno? Why should you consider Pereira, Jimenez, and Guaita? Find out on this week's pod!

A significant change is coming to the Premier League -- and Fantasy Premier League, of course -- for this upcoming season. The summer transfer window will close prior to the matches in Gameweek 1. Our podcast celebrates this as a positive change.

Historically, the transfer window closed around the same time as the first international break of the season. In the fall, there are three international breaks -- meaning there are no Premier League matches those weekends. The first is in September, followed by one in October and another in November.

That first international break -- usually some time around the first of September, when the summer transfer window used to close -- provided you with a significant milestone. Squads were settled, and some consistency existed to determine who to transfer in to your FPL lineup.

These international breaks still provide you with milestones every 4-5 weeks as the season begins. Even though the summer transfer window closes before GW1, as opposed to September 1 (right around the first international break), it is still a proper timeframe to use as you attempt to determine where to start with setting your first FPL lineup.

So if GWs 1-4 are a good timeframe to use to determine who to transfer into your FPL lineup to start the season, then which players should you consider? Last week, we began by looking only at GW1's fixtures, and we determined that there are no really obvious places to go. This week, let's zoom out a bit and take a look at which clubs have the best schedules to open the season until that first milestone -- Gameweeks 1 through 4.

Arsenal - MCI, at CHE, WHU, at CAR - A new manager and two tough matches to start the season might be a deterrent, but their attacking options are always appealing.

Bournemouth - CAR, at WHU, EVE, at CHE - These fixtures are not terrible, but who exactly would you want to transfer in?

Brighton & Hove Albion - at WAT, MUN, at LIV, FUL - This is a mixed bag and will likely keep you from transferring in anyone except a fringe player or two.

Burnley - at SOU, WAT, at FUL, MUN - Their first-ever Europa League campaign should make you pause in general this upcoming season, but those first three matches are promising.

Cardiff City - at BOU, NEW, at HUD, ARS - Cardiff could not ask for more to start the season. Those first three matches are opportunities. Now, we just need to figure out who they have that is ownable.

Chelsea - at HUD, ARS, at NEW, BOU - Let's see who they have in their squad once the season starts and how their new manager lines them up. The fixtures are tasty, though, so this is one club to watch for the opening segment of the season.

Crystal Palace - at FUL, LIV, at WAT, SOU - They were the darlings of FPL to end last season, and they will tempt you again to being this season. Hopefully, for their sakes, they will still have all the same players you want to transfer in.

Everton - at WOL, SOU, at BOU, HUD - They will need to gel under a new manager, but this is another club to pay attention to.

Fulham - CRY, at TOT, BUR, at BHA - Things could be worse, but this will still be a challenge. If you treated Fulham players the same way you treated Swansea players last season, it might not be the worst thing.

Huddersfield Town - CHE, at MCI, CAR, at EVE - Yeah, you will want to stay away during those first two matches. By Gameweek 3, you will probably want to use your free transfer somewhere other than on a Terrier.

Leicester City - at MUN, WOL, at SOU, LIV - There are some tricky fixtures here, but Leicester also might be good again. This is one to watch.

Liverpool - WHU, at CRY, BHA, at LEI - Put Liverpool on the list of clubs, alongside Chelsea and Everton so far, whose players you want to transfer in.

Manchester City - at ARS, HUD, at WOL, NEW - That Arsenal match will be supercharged at the Emirates. After that, it's only good things for your preferred City players.

Manchester United - LEI, at BHA, TOT, at BUR - If you want to transfer in a United player, you will do so, regardless of their fixture list. This list, however, is mixed, so buyer beware.

Newcastle United - TOT, at CAR, CHE, at MCI - It could be worse. It could be someone other than Cardiff in Gameweek 2. In all seriousness, you will want to transfer in Newcastle players at some point -- just not at the start of the season.

Southampton - BUR, at EVE, LEI, at CRY - Right away, Southampton will know if they belong back in the middle of the table. Under Mark Hughes, there is little reason for optimism.

Tottenham Hotspur - at NEW, FUL, at MUN, at WAT - Your regular Spurs players should intrigue you. However, everything centers around one question: Is this finally the year that Kane breaks his August curse?

Watford - BHA, at BUR, CRY, TOT - If you have one Hornet on your squad, it might not be the worst thing. Besides, you only ever want them in the first half of the season anyway.

West Ham United - at LIV, BOU, at ARS, WOL - This is another difficult yo-yo schedule to predict. With a new manager, you might want to wait and see.

Wolverhampton Wanderers - EVE, at LEI, MCI, at WHU - This will be tricky for the newly promoted club. They have made some promising signings, but you will probably want to wait until later in the fall to pursue them.

There is still so much to learn about clubs and players and who will be available to start the season. However, based on fixtures for the first segment of the season, there are 5 clubs you will want at the top of your list. After that, well, I guess we will wait and see.

The Premier League fixture list for the 2018/19 season was released earlier this week. It has given fans and FPL owners a chance to get a sneak peek at the season to come. Is it too early to start making decisions about how to set up your FPL lineup? Of course. Is that going to stop us? Of course not!

The Big Six:

The first place to start is the big six clubs. Arsenal and Manchester City is the mouth-watering opening fixture. What do we make of them meeting to start the season? It's hard to say. Arsenal's new manager is focusing on defense this summer, and it will face the ultimate test to start the season. Will the Gunners be ready?

You may want to play the goal scorers for these two clubs in this one.

Tottenham faces a tough test playing at Newcastle. You would not bet on a Spurs clean sheet in that one. Chelsea is also away, playing at Huddersfield. We still do not know what Chelsea will look like to start the season, but you would think that their test will be a little less difficult. Then again, Huddersfield is always good for a random moment of magic.

Liverpool and Manchester United start at home against decent mid-table clubs -- West Ham and Leicester respectively. They will be good season-opening tests for two clubs with title aspirations.

Promoted Clubs:

Sometimes, the Premier League sets up newly promoted clubs for failure, welcoming them to the league with one of the toughest fixtures they will have all season. That is not the case for the upcoming season.

Wolves and Fulham get to begin the season at home. Wolves will host Everton, who will be starting the season with a new manager, Marco Silva. Fulham will host Crystal Palace in a London derby that will test both clubs. Cardiff City go to Bournemouth to start the season, which always means a chance for goals.

Southampton-Burnley and Watford-Brighton make up the rest of the fixture list.

FPL Strategy:

If you listen to our pod, you know that we recommend that you build your initial squad for the initial fixtures. Don't build it for the whole season. Build out your first squad for GW1, with an eye toward GWs 1-4 until the first international break of the season.

At this point in the summer, there are no obvious places to start for GW1. More time and clarity in the summer transfer window will be necessary. Luckily, we have the ability to get both between now and August 11.

Every major football competition delivers intriguing storylines, exciting matchups, and breakout players. Inevitably, there is a player who scores a handful of goals and gets everybody excited -- announcers, fans, and scouts alike. It leads to a dramatic overreaction on that player's abilities, earning him the title "That Guy."

You know That Guy. Three things are almost always true about That Guy.

You didn't know -- or barely knew -- him before the competition.

He exceeds all expectations by scoring 3+ goals for his country in the competition.

He gets paaaaid after the competition by an overreacting club.

2014:

After the 2014 World Cup, Divock Origi was That Guy. He scored a few goals for Belgium -- a country that also boasts Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke at forward. As a result, Liverpool snapped him up.

He no longer plays for Liverpool.

2016:

After the 2016 Euros, Hal Robson-Kanu was That Guy. He scored a few goals for Wales -- a country that also boasts Gareth Bale. As a result, West Brom snapped him up. He scored 2 goals in 21 Premier League appearances for the relegated Baggies.

He still plays for West Brom -- for now.

Honorable mention from the 2016 Euros goes to every Icelandic player who now plays for a non-Icelandic club. A number of Those Guys stood out enough to get signed. Few of them are household names. The one who still is -- Gylfi Sigurdsson -- is coming off of a terrible year.

2018:

It is going to happen again during the 2018 World Cup. Someone will stand out, everyone will notice, a club will overpay to sign him, and then That Guy will be...average. At best.

As a serious Fantasy Premier League owner, my job will be to identify That Guy and make sure he comes nowhere near my FPL squad.

As we continue through the dark, lonely days of summer and look ahead to the start of the World Cup, we bring back to you one of our most important pods from the past year. For years, we have called out to the Premier League for a standardized injury protocol to add to the integrity of the league. In this episode, we provide details on what that injury protocol could look like.

I (Scott) am a Liverpool fan, but that is not the whole truth. Every time I watch the United States Men's National Team (USMNT), I realize that I am mostly a USMNT fan.

Like many Americans who were old enough to follow sports in the 1990s, I started paying attention to soccer in 1994 when the United States last hosted the World Cup. Correction: I started to pay attention to the World Cup.

In 2002, when the Americans made the quarters, I was never going to miss another World Cup. And after the 2006 World Cup, I opened myself up to the Premier League. The rest is history.

This all means that I started as a USMNT fan, and that is the team I live and die with the most.

Today, with the 2018 World Cup approaching, I wanted to tell a story of living and a story of dying. Call it my way of coping still more with the USMNT not being in this year's World Cup if you must.

A Story of Dying:

Every time the US is eliminated from a World Cup, I feel a level of devastation unparalleled with my other sports teams. In 2014, when Belgium defeated the US in the Round of 16, I needed a full two days to get over it. Sure, Tim Howard was amazing (16 saves!), but how did Wondo miss?

There was a little comfort in that loss knowing that the US was not the favorite. This was not a source of comfort when the US was eliminated in 2010.

They were playing against Ghana, the same African nation that had beaten them in the dreadful 2006 World Cup. This was time for revenge. Technically, the US was probably not the favorite, but there was definitely a good shot at advancing. Plus, there was magic in this squad (more on that later). This was going to happen.

And then it didn't. Asamoah Gyan scored early in extra time, and Ghana held on to win 2-1.

We were supposed to attend a big party later that evening. We did, but I was a shell of a person. My team (my real and true team) was out of the World Cup. Maybe I shouldn't admit it, but I was down and out for days. This truly felt like a death that needed to be properly grieved.

A Story of Living:

Ironically, it was the 2010 World Cup that provided the best moment as a USMNT fan. If you are already a fan, you know where I'm going with this.

It was the final group stage match; Algeria were the opponents. The US needed to win to advance. In the 91st minute, it was still 0-0. The US took advantage of a counterattacking opportunity. Clint Dempsey's shot was denied by the keeper, but the rebound fell to a sprinting Landon Donovan, who put it away. 1-0. The US celebrates.

I still watch this goal on YouTube. Ian Darke's voice still gives me goosebumps. It did again just now when I watched it for the 4,232nd time. It always will.

Funnily enough, though, I didn't hear a word that Ian Darke had said when the goal went in. I was scheduled to work second shift on the day of this match. The timing was perfect so that I could watch it and then go to work.

No one else was home. My wife and only child at that time were out. It was just me and this match.

And then the goal went in. I jumped up and started screaming, but it wasn't enough. I had more joy that I needed to release. I ran outside of my townhouse and into the subdivision parking lot.

I slightly bent my knees, extended my fisted hands straight out in front of me, and I yelled again at the top of my lungs. I yelled a third time. Then, I realized where I was and ran back inside. But I didn't care. Landon Donovan had scored.

By the time I got back inside, the celebrating was winding down on the TV. To this day, that is the only time that sports has ever driven me to run from my house like a wild fan and scream into the great outdoors.

That picture of me outside? I'm proud of it. There's no shame here. I tell you this story because I hope you have this moment, too. Maybe it will come this summer.